"Ancient Weapon—Pluton."
"A super battleship said to be the most formidable warship in shipbuilding history, built by Water 7. It could destroy an entire island with a single shot. It now sleeps somewhere in the world, and only Nico Robin, who can read the Poneglyphs, knows its location."
Roman glanced at Vivi, the blue-haired princess.
"And that so-called 'Poneglyph' is buried in your family's royal mausoleum."
This...
"Don't ask me how I know,"
Roman waved a hand, cutting off the questions that were about to come.
"I can only say that these are facts! Not stories or fairy tales..."
"On the surface, Crocodile is currently Alabasta's 'hero,' actively hunting pirates and protecting civilians everywhere. But in truth, all of it is merely preparation for his 'theft of a nation.'"
"On one hand, he wins over the people as a 'hero.' On the other, he uses his Suna Suna no Mi ability to stir up sandstorms everywhere, causing years of drought across Alabasta..."
"At the same time, he stokes the conflict between the king and the rebels, making both sides fight each other. I believe that when the time is right, he'll step forward to defeat the 'tyrannical' Royal Army and save the people from misery."
"My father isn't—"
"You don't need to explain it to me," Roman said, waving a hand to interrupt Vivi.
"You should be thinking about how to explain it to those people—though that is doomed to be futile."
Devil Fruits were practically a dimensionality-reduction strike against ordinary people. And under the double blow of drought and hunger, whether the people even had the patience to listen to explanations was another question.
"So, Nico Robin and Crocodile are partners."
"Essentially, Nico Robin is simply an 'archaeologist.'"
"Perhaps she isn't a good person, but she isn't too bad either. So when it comes to her employer, Crocodile, stirring up chaos in Alabasta and ruining thousands upon thousands of families, she is deeply conflicted as well."
That was why the beautiful woman had come to warn them and give them the Log Pose earlier.
"Then why doesn't she just kill that Crocodile?"
Zoro asked, one hand resting on the three swords at his waist. Since the other party had effortlessly knocked away his weapons, he had maintained this vigilant stance, ready to draw at any moment.
"According to what you said, Roman, this Nico Robin has a bounty of seventy-nine million, while her boss Crocodile only has a bounty of eighty million..."
Their strength seemed very close, didn't it?
"No, quite the opposite."
Roman shook his head. In fact, he had practically been tearing his hair out over the past few days. The moment he thought about fighting Crocodile next, he wished he could split every minute into two and spend both training!
If only there were some kind of time chamber, he would at least train in there for ten years before coming back out...
"Nico Robin was given a seventy-nine-million bounty because her archaeology violated the World Government's secrets."
"As for her strength... considering the special nature of her Devil Fruit ability, she would be worth no more than fifty million on a first encounter. But once someone understands the Flower-Flower Fruit's characteristics, her combat ability would be around thirty million."
Of course, that was only Roman's own estimate.
"Crocodile, on the other hand, had that so-called eighty-million bounty a long time ago. After accomplishing several major feats in the New World, he accepted the World Government's offer and became a Shichibukai. So his bounty was never raised."
"By my estimate..." Though Roman could not see his own face, he was certain his expression looked terrible.
Because even Luffy had turned serious.
"Crocodile's strength should be in the hundreds of millions!"
As for whether that meant two hundred million or nine hundred million, that was hard to say... After all, he had once been a monster on par with Bullet, and later even clashed with Whitebeard! Roman could only pray that when Crocodile lost to Whitebeard, he had also lost all his ambition, Haki skills, and battle IQ. Otherwise—
They would be laughing and chatting their way straight to game over?
"To be honest, I can't even think of a way for us to beat him..."
"Roman, this isn't a question of whether we can win."
Faced with Roman's blunt truth, Luffy pressed down his straw hat. His expression was serious, and so was his tone.
"It's a question of whether we have to go!"
"...All right. I respect your decision, Captain."
After meeting Luffy's gaze for several seconds, Roman finally nodded. No matter how terrifyingly he described Crocodile, Luffy would never back down because of it. Just like Zoro facing Hawk Eyes, even if he could not win, he would never retreat!
But:
Crocodile was not Hawk Eyes, someone who liked nurturing the younger generation. He was confident and cruel, yet he was also far from lacking intelligence and schemes. Forget defeating him—even the chance of escaping from his hands was slim...
Were they really supposed to count on Luffy's stupidity aura and a last-minute power-up?
Absolutely not!
Roman lowered his eyes, and the light in them abruptly vanished as he entered standby mode again.
After a stretch of silence on the deck, "Aaaah, Sanji! I'm starving to death..."
"All right, all right, I'll go cook..."
As the sun gradually rose, Vivi, now dressed in a normal women's blouse, began explaining the weather of the Grand Line. But when she turned around—
"Guys, want to try my special drink~~~"
"Yes!" x3
"Quack!"
Luffy, Zoro, Usopp, and even Vivi's mount, Fast Runner, all raised their hands. The young princess, who had just listened to Roman's explanation, felt her blood pressure spike!
"Is this really appropriate?!"
Faced with Vivi's question, Nami handed her a drink. It was a cold beverage made from oranges grown on the Golden Merry's aft deck. The orange trees had been transplanted from Nami's home. They could improve the flavor and prevent scurvy.
"If something sudden happens, they'll get serious right away."
"But... I'm still a little worried..."
Watching Luffy and the others sit in a circle on the deck, discussing how to make fishing rods so they could fish, Vivi was infected by their cheerful atmosphere. The stern expression on her face gradually softened.
"On this ship,"
Looking at the cheerful group, as well as Roman, who was steering in standby mode and slowly shifting toward a blank "aba aba" expression, Nami flashed a toothy grin.
"All worries will vanish into thin air!"
"Mm... but what Roman said..."
"Don't worry. Roman has always been like this."
Holding her drink, Nami walked toward the helm as she spoke.
"Before every battle, he always seriously exaggerates everything again and again. But once he actually gets into a fight,"
"He is incredibly dependable. I believe in him—"
As she spoke, Nami reached Roman, who had gone so deeply into standby mode that he looked dazed, and held her drink to his mouth.
"Drink."
Gulp, gulp~~
...Was this the trust between companions?
Watching the Straw Hat Pirates sail steadily toward a powerful enemy while remaining as they always were, the blue-haired girl named Vivi could not suppress the envy welling up inside her.
"I see it,"
As time passed, an island appeared before them.
"That is our next stop, an island called Little Garden..."
"I'm a little worried about what Miss All Sunday said..." Vivi was cautious, but the others did not see it that way.
"Our food supplies are almost gone. We have to gather ingredients here..."
That was Sanji, speaking practically.
"Adventure, adventure! I smell adventure!"
That was Luffy, unable to wait.
"Good. I'll stretch my muscles too."
That was Zoro, who had just woken from another nap.
Come to think of it, because Roman had been in standby mode so often lately, everyone's training had unknowingly stopped again...
Just as the Straw Hat crew prepared to set foot on Little Garden, at Twin Cape, two islands away—
"No, no!"
Facing "Roman," who had once again been effortlessly sent flying, the old man named Croccus shook his head in disappointment.
"You will never learn Armament Haki like this."
"Armament Haki is the invincible fighting will forged when humans face countless enemies stronger than themselves! It is tempered through battling giant beasts, fighting other people, and resisting natural disasters with an unyielding spirit that refuses to admit defeat."
"With that blazing blood driving you into battle, you can unleash power capable of shattering mountains with your fists, cleaving the sea with your sword, and hardening your body beyond gold and iron. It comes from the most fundamental conviction of the soul, from the purest power of life..."
"I understand the principle, Senior Croccus."
As the distance continued to widen, the White Knight Roman had left behind could barely maintain its form anymore.
"But the greatest difference between humans and animals is that humans know how to learn."
"Haki developed through systematic study and training will never lose to primitive monkeys who understand nothing. You have no objection to that, do you?"
"...If you insist on taking shortcuts..."
"Power is power. No matter how power is acquired, it is real."
Did one have to undergo life-or-death trials to be considered strong?
Enel of Sky Island had something to say about that. If Luffy's Devil Fruit had not countered his so completely, his strength in the hundreds of millions would not have been discounted in the slightest! Even without Armament Haki, he was still a powerhouse in his own right!
However:
The Paper-Paper Fruit was not the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, and Roman was not Enel.
"What a bleak future, Senior Croccus."
"I just don't understand why a junior who has only just entered the Grand Line is in such a hurry..."
Faced with the old ship doctor's question, Roman gave a bitter smile.
"My captain is about to go up against Crocodile, one of the Shichibukai, so I can't afford not to be in a hurry."
"Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough!!!"
"What did you say—"
Facing the anxious Croccus, the "Roman" who had begun gradually fading away waved his hand.
"Goodbye, Senior."
"Perhaps before long, you'll see the news in the papers."
Either the Straw Hat crew would defeat Crocodile, or Crocodile would obtain the Ancient Weapon... Either way, it would be earth-shattering Big News. He just did not know whether he would still be around by then...
PS: Thanks to reader Qingsi Jun for the reward and monthly ticket, and thanks as well to passing-by Shuka, Jinyu Ming, and the other readers for their monthly tickets~~ Thanks.
And while I'm at it, please send a free recommendation vote~~~
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